Tape cassette

Abstract

A tape cassette includes a cassette case, a tape containment area, a first wall portion, a guide portion, a second wall portion, a third wall portion, and a fourth wall portion. The cassette case includes a top face, a bottom face, a front face, and a pair of side faces. The tape containment area is an area in which a tape roll is accommodated. The first wall portion is provided along a portion of an outer perimeter of the tape containment area. The guide portion is provided downstream from the first wall portion on a feed path. The second wall portion is provided between the first wall portion and the guide portion. The third wall portion is provided on an opposite side of a tape from the second wall portion. The fourth wall portion is provided between the second wall portion and the guide portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tape cassette comprising:
 a cassette case that includes a top face, a bottom face, a front face, and a pair of side faces, the pair of side faces extending in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the front face; 
 a tape containment area, in the cassette case, in which a tape roll is accommodated, the tape roll being a wound tape that is a printing medium; 
 a first wall portion provided along a portion of an outer perimeter of the tape containment area, the first wall portion being configured to shape a feed path for the tape that extends from the tape roll, the first wall portion including a first edge portion that faces a first surface of the tape; 
 a guide portion provided downstream from the first wall portion on the feed path, the guide portion being configured to be in contact with the tape regardless of an amount of the tape of the tape roll accommodated in the tape containment area, the guide portion facing a second surface of the tape; 
 a second wall portion provided between the first wall portion and the guide portion, the second wall portion being configured to shape the feed path, the second wall portion including a second edge portion that faces the first surface of the tape; 
 a third wall portion provided on an opposite side of the tape from the second wall portion, the third wall portion being configured to shape the feed path, the third wall portion including a third edge portion that faces the second surface of the tape; and 
 a fourth wall portion provided between the second wall portion and the guide portion, the fourth wall portion including a fourth edge portion that faces the first surface of the tape, the second edge portion being provided in a position along a virtual straight line that connects the first edge portion and the fourth edge portion, wherein a length of the fourth wall portion in an up-down direction is longer than a length of the second wall portion in the up-down direction, the up-down direction being orthogonal to the top face and the bottom face. 
 
     
     
       2. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the third edge portion has a circular columnar shape that extends in an up-down direction in which the top face and the bottom face are opposed to each other. 
 
     
     
       3. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tape is configured to be pulled out from the tape roll at a point that is to a rear of a winding center of the tape roll in the front-rear direction, and 
 the third edge portion is positioned to the rear of the winding center of the tape roll in the front-rear direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the fourth wall portion has a cylindrical shape. 
 
     
     
       5. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the third wall portion is a roller that is configured to rotate about an axis that extends in an up-down direction in which the top face and the bottom face are opposed to each other. 
 
     
     
       6. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the tape is a heat-shrinkable tube. 
 
     
     
       7. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the fourth edge portion is a curved surface. 
     
     
       8. A tape cassette comprising:
 a cassette case that has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the cassette case including a top face, a bottom face, a front face, and a pair of side faces, the pair of side faces extending in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the front face; 
 a tape containment area in the cassette case, in which a tape roll is accommodated, the tape roll being a wound tape that is a printing medium; 
 an arm portion that includes a portion of the front face and that is configured to guide the tape to an exit along a portion of a feed path, the portion of the feed path extending in parallel to the front face; 
 a rotatable ribbon winding spool provided between the arm portion and the tape containment area in the front-rear direction, the rotatable ribbon winding spool being configured to wind an ink ribbon used for printing on the tape, the tape containment area and the rotatable ribbon winding spool being positioned on a first diagonal line, the first diagonal line connecting a pair of corner portions of the cassette case; 
 a path shaping portion provided in a position along an outer perimeter of the tape containment area, the path shaping portion being configured to shape the feed path for the tape; and 
 a partition wall provided between the rotatable ribbon winding spool and the tape roll, the partition wall extending from the path shaping portion along a portion of the outer perimeter of the tape containment area, the partition wall intersecting a virtual line connecting a winding center of the tape roll and a rotational center of the rotatable ribbon winding spool. 
 
     
     
       9. The tape cassette according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a roller provided in one corner portion of two corner portions that are positioned on a second diagonal line, the second diagonal line intersecting the first diagonal line, the roller having a first opening that extends in an up-down direction in which the top face and the bottom face are opposed to each other, a portion of an outer circumferential face of the roller being exposed on a front side of the cassette case; and 
 a second opening provided in another corner portion of the two corner portions that are positioned on the second diagonal line, 
 wherein the partition wall is provided along a virtual line that connects the first opening and the second opening. 
 
     
     
       10. The tape cassette according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first wall portion is provided along a portion of the outer perimeter of the tape containment area, the first wall portion being configured to shape the feed path for the tape that extends from the tape roll, the first wall portion including a first edge portion that faces a first surface of the tape; 
 a guide portion provided downstream from the first wall portion on the feed path, the guide portion being configured to be in contact with the tape regardless of an amount of the tape of the tape roll accommodated in the tape containment area, the guide portion facing a second surface of the tape; 
 a second wall portion provided on an opposite side of the tape from the path shaping portion, the second wall portion being provided between the first wall portion and the guide portion, the second wall portion being configured to shape the feed path, the second wall portion including a second edge portion that faces the first surface of the tape; and 
 a third wall portion provided between the second wall portion and the guide portion, the third wall portion including a third edge portion that faces the first surface of the tape, 
 wherein the path shaping portion includes an edge that faces the second surface of the tape, and 
 wherein the second edge portion is provided in a position along a virtual straight line that connects the first edge portion and the third edge portion. 
 
     
     
       11. The tape cassette according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the third wall portion has a cylindrical shape. 
 
     
     
       12. The tape cassette according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the path shaping portion has a circular columnar shape that extends in an up-down direction in which the top face and the bottom face are opposed to each other. 
 
     
     
       13. The tape cassette according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the tape is configured to be pulled out from the tape roll at a point to a rear of the winding center of the tape roll in the front-rear direction, and 
 the path shaping portion is positioned to the rear of the winding center of the tape roll in the front-rear direction. 
 
     
     
       14. The tape cassette according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the tape is a heat-shrinkable tube.